Ice Cream

We didn't have nearly enough of this over the summer. (mocha java chip seen here) 

Foe Toe Grafs

New pictures are up on Flickr if you are still interested...

Stats!

Total mileage: 11,171.3

Top speed: 100 mph. Speeding tickets: 0

Highest gas price seen (reg/unleaded): $3.55 (Connecticut) Highest we paid: $3.14 (Washington) Lowest: $2.74 (South Carolina)

Oil changes: 2

States we visited, or at least passed through (32 states):
Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and back home to Maryland.

Wild and domesticated animals we done seen: Llamas, donkeys, grizzly bear, brown bear, elk, deer, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, alpaca, antelope, dolphins, bison, wolf, groundhog, prarie dogs, armadillo, gray foxes, yellow bellied marmot, cows, bulls, longhorn steer, chinook salmon, lamprey eel, snake, squirrell, chipmunk, bat, turkeys, pheasant, eagles, osprey, dogs, children.

High/Low Temperature: 114 - Wakeenee, KS. 31 - Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone National Park.

An iced Dunkin's for the ride home

 

Pepe and Sharon

Pepe and Sharon share a moment to say goodbye, and Thanks for taking care of me this summer! 

Finale!... or is it?

It's been a week since our last post, so some of you may be wondering:

• Is this it?
  
• Where are they now?
  
• Did they make it home safely?
  
• Where is Pepe and how did she fare at Chez Sharon?
  

Well, yes, this is it. We are home now and getting ready to return to the work force and take up the regularly scheduled life. After a brief stop at Silver Spring (see below) we drove north about 450 miles (one of the longest daily stretches of the trip) to New England. A slideshow to the Mugaveros of Bradford, a dip in the pool in Newburyport, and a few days along the Maine coast seemed to complete the circuit of the USA.

We dropped in on Beth and the kiddos of Bedford before a much anticipated reunion with our friendly feline. She was a bit hesitant at first, a little confused (she does have a small brain), but quickly recognized the whistled notes of "Ode To Joy" -- her favorite tune. She rubbed, purred, bumped, and let us say hello like long lost friends. It was a happy time.

The McAllistour continues!

We spent the second phase of the tour in York Beach, Maine vacationing with Jim & Gayle, Randi, Liam & Lily (and Dani the beagle-chihuahua mix). We got sunburned on the beach, chased bats out of the cottage, ate moose steaks, and played scrabble. We are slowly winding down the adventures and getting ready to return to our regularly scheduled lives as librarian and academic advisor.

At the start of the tour, 10 weeks seemed like a long time, and the distance seemed to grow as we looked at the maps ahead of us. Now, at the beginning of August and the time seems to have gone in a blink of an eye and the distance is just memories and numbers on the odometer. It feels like we were just at Sharon's dropping off Pepe, and now we are back at Sharon's picking her up for the ride home.

I have NO regrets about taking this time to discover some things about myself, my wife, my life, and my country. We have one week left, and I am sure the spirit of adventure will continue well beyond this trip into other parts of my life.